Five new POWERHOUSE releases on Tzadik! Zorn's Dreamers, Bar Kokhba 'Lucifer', Teiji Ito V4, Cyro Baptista, and Ambarchi/Z'ev! Tatsuya Yoshida & Imahori Tsunei, Charles Lloyd with Jason Moran! O'Rourke/Sakata/Yoshimio!

Tony Bevan's Foghorn label w/ Sunny Murray, Derek Bailey & the Spring Hill Jack dudes, New Mats/Morgan Band, Evangelista w/ Carla Bozulich, Mick Barr's Ocrilim, Daniel Higgs & a Slew of Noise gems from the Hospital & No Fun labels

Historic discs! Five new RVG Blue Note remasters, Phil Miller, Loren Mazzacane Connors, Raymond Scott, Mary Lou Williams, Moondog, Egg, Claire Hammill and Swell Maps! Plus a .. but why should we give away ALL the MANY Surprises? Read ON!




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We've heard the moanin' of the many at the Zorn List ...that there is no official/comprehensive posting of upcoming musical events worldwide featuring Zorn or his compositions.
We're trying to do something about it .. but in the meantime you should look to this

Unnofficial Zorn concert listings at MySpace

..for a decent - if not comprehensive - upcoming events list, and also check into this page while you're at it..

Unnofficial Zorn page at MySpace

Have FUN!


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Phenomenal New Releases on Tzadik!

JOHN ZORN - The Dreamers (Tzadik 7366; USA) Featuring Marc Ribot on guitars, John Zorn on alto sax, compositions & direction, Jamie Saft on keyboards, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Trevor Dunn on bass, Cyro Baptista on percussio0n and Joey Baron on drums. Continuing in the tradition of his popular album 'The Gift', Zorn again combines a lifetime of musical passions - world music, movie soundtracks, jazz, minimalism, exotica, funk, surf rock and more - to create a vibrant and multifaceted album of instrumental fairy tales. Masterfully performed by the all-star players from Electric Masada, The Dreamers is a project of breathtaking variety and will attract listeners of all backgrounds and ages. Bathed in a lush package created by the acclaimed artist and exclusive Tzadik graphic designer Chippy and accompanied by a sheet of collectable character stickers, The Dreamers is one of Zorn's most beautiful and appealing projects. Seductive lyricism, hypnotic grooves, catchy hooks and romantic moods from this genre-bashing master of surprise. TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $14

JOHN ZORN MASADA BOOK TWO: BAR KOKHBA - Lucifer: 'Book Of Angels' Vol. 10 (Tzadik 7367; USA) Lucifer is the first studio recording in over ten years by the most popular and best selling Masada ensemble ever. Here they play better and tighter than ever, blending Sephardic and Ashkenazi sonorities with latin, surf, world music and more in an inimitable easy listening instrumental style. Lyrical and soulful, this is some of the most exciting and enjoyable chamber music you are ever likely to hear. Lucifer is yet another brilliant release from Zorn's Book of Angels - one of the most consistent and compelling collections on Tzadik. - TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $14

TEIJI ITO - The Shamanic Principles (Tzadik 8048; USA) Now hailed as one of the downtown scene's founding fathers, Teiji Ito blended world music, avant-garde classical and improvisation as early as 1952. This fourth volume of music out of the Ito archives features the original recordings of two of his last and most important extended compositions. Drawing upon cosmic and shamanic principles learned first hand from a variety of spiritual masters around the world, Axis Mundi (using an orchestra of homemade instruments) and Quetzalcoatl (performed with Singers from the Sioux Nation) are the culmination of a lifetime of spiritual study by this elusive and enigmatic musical explorer. Another mind bending view into the fascinating musical universe of Teiji Ito! - TZADIK COMPOSER SERIES
CD $14

CYRO BAPTISTA - Banquet of the Spirits (Tzadik 7624; USA) Banquet of the Spirits features the tight new quartet led by maestro Cyro Baptista - the fabulous percussionist who has performed with everyone from Herbie Hancock and Yo-Yo Ma to Laurie Anderson, Paul Simon and Medeski, Martin and Wood. Cyro's endless sonic curiosity and intense rhythmic drive has never been stronger in these fabulous and imaginative original songs. Featuring three of the best young musicians out of the downtown scene and some very special guests, the music jumps from a whisper to a scream and never misses a beat. Delightful music from one of the world's greatest and most adventurous Brazilian musicians. TZADIK KEY SERIES
CD $14

OREN AMBARCHI & Z'EV - Spirit Transform Me (Tzadik 8123; USA) Oren Ambarchi is a composer and multi-instrumentalist experimenting in the dark trance-inducing worlds of ambient, industrial and electronic music. His newest collaborative project features the legendary percussionist/composer and mystic Z'EV in a hypnotic series of pieces exploring the inner meanings of the Hebrew Alef-beit. A remarkable vision from beginning to end, with sounds both fragile and powerfully intense, Oren and Z'EV take the sonic investigation of guitar and percussion to startling new heights. Qabalhistic euphoria from two masters of trance! TZADIK RADICAL JEWISH CULTURE SERIES
CD $14



CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET With JASON MORAN - Rabo de Nube (ECM 2053; USA) In time for the great saxophonist's 70th birthday on March 15, a rousing set from a revamped Lloyd Quartet, recorded live in Basel in 2007. New to the party, and in an ECM debut, is pianist Jason Moran, whose percussive attack, with its echoes of Monk and Bud Powell, lights fires. Moran already has a history with drummer Eric Harland, and together with double-bassist Reuben Rogers, intensify the rhythmic interaction that lifts Lloyd skyward on uptempo workouts including a blistering account of old favorite Sweet Georgia Bright. There are also tender ballads, including the title track, Cuban songwriter Silvio RodrIguez's Rabo de Nube ("tail of a cloud"), a mountaintop meditation with the tarogato (Ramanujan), a tribute to Booker Little, and more. CD booklet includes concert photography as well as verse by prizewinning poet Charles Simic that nicely characterizes both the 'rural' and 'city' aspects of Charles's sound.
CD $17



New on Doubt

IMAHORI TSUNEI/TATSUYA YOSHIDA - Dots (Doubt 120; Japan) One of their miraculous duo result is their first CD "Territory" (dmf-112, 2006). This work, "DOTS" is even more overpowering, speed, ramified rhythm, edits, and so on. First, they recorded their improvised music in studio, then they overdubbed various sounds, edited the materials and mixed different effects into the tunes. This is the music for the prog rock, math rock, post rock fans. Dense and Fiery !
CD $20

And copies found of this out-of-print gem!

LOCO TAKAYANAGI Y LOS POBRES [MASAYUKI TAKAYANAGI/SATOH TOSHIO et al] - El Pulso (DIW/Jinya B-04; Japan) Featuring Takayanagi Masayuki (g)/ Satoh Toshio (g)/ Ikeda Shoujirou (7-string g)/ Matsuoka akira (g)/ Tanba Hidetoshi (g)/Sakamoto Tanryo (g)/ Miyazaki Shinichi (g)/Ino Nobuyoshi (b). Recorded live at "Pit-Inn"(1-14), Shinjuku, on 1st of August, live at "Jean Jean"(15-17), Shibuya, on 28th of October 1990
CD $25


A third collaboration between O'Rourke and Sakata!

JIM O'ROURKE/AKIRA SAKATA/YOSHIMI P-WE - Hagyo (Polystar Jazz; Japan) Just discovered by Detective Mikey IQ Jones. Review soon.
CD $34


SEKKUTSU JEAN [SATO KENJI] & KAWABATA MAKOTO - Sekkutsu Jean & Kawabata Makoto (Vivo 2008034; EEC) SATO KENJI (bass,vocal), KAWABATA MAKOTO (guitar). Recorded live at EARTHDOM (Tokyo 23rd October 2007), HELLUVA LOUNGE (Kobe 5th October 2007). For fans of Acid Mothers Temple, Ruins, Musica Transonic, Buckethead and Primus!
CD $16

ZDZISLAW PIERNIK/PIOTR ZABRODZKI - Namanga (Vivo 2008035; EEC) Unusual Polish Contemporary Music performed by tuba genius Zdzislaw Piernik! Additional musicians: Piotr Zabrodzki (piano, electric piano, double-bass, bass guitar, organ), Hubert Zemler (percussion, vibraphone), Wojciech Kondrat (violin). All tracks composed by Piotr Zabrodzki - extremely talented artist, member of Blast Muzungu and Tatsuya Yoshida's (Ruins, Magaibutsu) cooperator.
CD $16



Just out from Cuneiform!

MATS/MORGAN BAND [MATS OBERG/MORGAN AGREN] - Trends And Other Diseases (Cuneiform 267; USA) "Trends is our debut CD, and was also the first one we released by ourselves on our own company! It was a great exciting period, cause we had just built our first own studio, (one adat machine and a 24 track Soundcraft board etc). When finally having all the equipment we needed to record, we spent quite some time making this CD. I like the album a lot, it not only reminds me of this exciting period, I like the songs too, and I was also happy with the way the sound came out, especially considering it was the first recording we did by ourselves. Nice guest acts as well, such as; Fredrik Sohngen on and Gunnar Persson on Oboe and Bassoon, vocalists Dilba, Derek Huntsman, Meshuggah Guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, saxophonist Jonas Knutsson etc. And, of course the title of the album is great, and quite appropriate, don't you think?" - Morgan Agren
CD $15

And in case you blinked a couple of weeks ago...

MATS/MORGAN BAND [MATS OBERG/MORGAN AGREN] - Heat Beats Live/Morgan Agren Tourbook 1991-2007 [CD + DVD] (Cuneiform 265/266; USA) Mats Oberg (keyboards) and Morgan Agren (drums) have been playing together for over 25 years. They have released 6 previous album (as well as assorted side/solo projects) for their own UAE label for a decade before signing with Cuneiform and releasing their very popular "Thanks For Flying With Us" album. Heat Beats is an excellently recorded live album (except for the applause you would never know it was a live recording) which covers two years of work, featuring Mats and Morgan alone, together and with up to 3 additional musicians. The music is their modern blend of composition, improvisation, complexity and hypnotic beats, as well as their sense of humor. Also included in this package is a second disc, which is Morgan Agren's long worked upon and anticipated DVD release, both with Mats and with other musicians as well. "This DVD contains various recordings made during a 16 year span, including live and studio recordings featuring many of my favorite musicians, plus lots of solo drums. I am happy that all of this material is recorded at all. It would have been a shame to set my hair on fire without being able to see it after..." - Morgan Agren
2 CD set for $21

and, Cuneiform has just repressed two of their out-of-print classic titles...

PHIL MILLER - Digging In (Cuneiform 34; USA) Phil was the guitarist, & a founding member of the legendary British groups Hatfield & The North, National Health, & Matching Mole. This is his 3rd solo; very studio oriented, featuring lots of superb fretwork by Phil, plus help from Pip Pyle, Peter Lemer, & Fred Baker. ''A single Phil Miller album is, in 1988, a greater event than ten Miles Davis albums. More!'' Puls (Norway). ''...if you are still mourning the passing of the Hatfields, this (Digging In) is the release to start with for an intro to what this man is up to 20 years on. All in all, a recording that would cheer even Gloria Gloom''.-Tone Clusters
CD $15

THE STICK MEN - Insatiable (Cuneiform 151; USA) In the early '80s, The Stick Men ruled the Philadelphia no wave scene. Reminiscent of James Chance and the Contortions with more hyperkinetic energy, they created a frenzied psycho-punk sound that featured gut-wrenching timing, extraordinary charm, personality with a plus, and tons of good humor. The Stick Men were a 5-piece experience of guitar/vocals, Acetone organ/clavinet/vocals, sax/trumpet/vocals, bass & drums. With stage manners as manic as their sound, the Stick Men magnetized and maintained a loyal fan base for their amazing live shows. In the mid 80's the group disbanded. This CD contains the The Stick Men's recorded output (two rare vinyl records) as well as rare live radio broadcasts. Also included is bonus CDRom material: a 20' Quicktime video of the band. The video reveals the explosive energy that characterized the band's live shows. The band remains an incomparable phenomenon to this day. ''Changing tempos, directions, riffs & rhythms every 20 seconds, stopping on a dime, accelerating to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds...'' 5/5 stars (''Indispensable'') -Alternative Press.
CD $15


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Finally released in the U.S. at a lower price!

FANU & BILL LASWELL With BERNIE WORRELL/NILS PETTER MOLVAER /GRAHAM HAYNES - Lodge (Ohm Resistance; USA) FANU is Finland's - and perhaps the world's - finest breakbeat splicer and re-imaging doctor. His programming, layering, and arrangements of classic breakbeats are truly some of the most innovative and by far the most realistic sounding - akin to a jazz drummer with no boundaries and seventeen available drum kits at once. BILL LASWELL is the Grammy award-winning producer of Herbie Hancock, bassist and arranger extraordinaire. Fresh off the amazing Method of Defiance record Inamorata, he's completed this follow up recording, which also features Parliament Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell and two renown trumpeters who are seasoned veterans of crossing over into new forms and electronic meldings: Graham Haynes and Nils Petter Molvaer!
If you took the electric period of Miles Davis, with less repetition, more funk, and mad scientist drummer, you might end up halfway to 'Lodge'. Half time vamps swing with steady funk bass from Laswell and one of Bernie Worrell's most inspired keyboard performances since PFunk, 'Lodge' turns it out with much more emphasis on the groove. Bits of drum n bass and floating trumpet maneuver over the core modular pieces; a much less harsh sound than the Method of Defiance project, more demonstrative of the soul of Laswell's funktronics.
CD $14


A DMG EXCLUSIVE!

ROBERT MUSSO - Although known as a genius producer/engineer [witness his long association with Laswell's productions] - what he Really Is an immensely talented guitarist AND composer [check out his Innermedium CD on DIW - we still have copies for $20] Like some other monster talents that should be better known - say, Ray Russell - he has stayed mostly behind the scenes, with only the occasional project fronted with his name.
(to see the full extent of his work on legendary recordings, go to
Robert Musso Discography at MussoMusic.com )

His label of two decades, MuWorks, is now Download-Only for its new releases - but through a special agreement, we have been allowed to offer Better Sound Quality versions of certain key new releases [with more to follow] as limited edition CD-Rs Directly from the Master Tapes!


MACHINE GUN [ROBERT MUSSO/THOMAS CHAPIN et al] With SONNY SHARROCK - Live At The Gas Station - December 3rd 1988 (MuWorks 46 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR at full CD sampling rate as opposed to lesser quality downloads! Machine Gun: Robert Musso, Thomas Chapin, Bill Bryant, Jair-Rohm Parker Wells, John Richey; with special guest Sonny Sharrock!
CD $12

MACHINE GUN [ROBERT MUSSO/THOMAS CHAPIN et al] With SONNY SHARROCK/KARL BERGER - Live At CBGB's - June 2nd 1987 (MuWorks 37 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR at full CD sampling rate as opposed to lesser quality downloads! Machine Gun: Robert Musso, Thomas Chapin, Bill Bryant, Jair-Rohm Parker Wells, John Richey; with special guests Sonny Sharrock and Karl Berger!
CD $12

ROBERT MUSSO/BILL LASWELL/LANCE CARTER - Live At The Bowery Poetry Club - November 11th 2004 (MuWorks 31 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR at full CD sampling rate as opposed to lesser quality downloads! "Boy, I missed this gig, and only two blocks away from DMG! Arrghh! It's an amazing gig - Musso pulls out all the stops, an amazing tour-de-force!" - MannyLunch
CD $12

ROBERT MUSSO/DAVE DREIWITZ/LANCE CARTER - Live At The Bowery Poetry Club - July 9th 2003 (MuWorks 33 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR at full CD sampling rate as opposed to lesser quality downloads! Another superb power trio featuring Robert Musso from Machine Gun on lead guitar, Dave Dreiwitz from Ween, Tiny Lights, etc. on el. bass and the late Lance Carter on drums!
CD $12

TRANSONIC [ROBERT MUSSO] With BILL LASWELL - Re-Evolution (MuWorks 22 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR at full CD sampling rate as opposed to lesser quality downloads!
CD $12

TRANSONIC BAND [ROBERT MUSSO With BYARD LANCASTER/CHARLES BURNHAM/ELLIOT LEVIN/LANCE CARTER et al] - Live At The Cooler - July 12th 1999 (MuWorks 30 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR at full CD sampling rate as opposed to lesser quality downloads! Smokin' all-star cast featuring Byard Lancaster & Elliott Levin on saxes & flutes, Charles Burnham on violin, Lance Carter on drums and Bob Musso on guitar & compositions.
CD $12

Also, last copies, from Mr. Musso himself of the aforementioned DIW CD, which shows his talents on all fronts: composer, player, arranger and producer!

ROBERT MUSSO With DAVE LIEBMAN/BILL LASWELL/BYARD LANCASTER/BERNIE WORRELL/CHARLES BURNHAM - Innermedium (DIW 416; Japan) This extraordinary CD blends jazz, funk and electronics in a hip and adventurous fashion. These are some of the finest players of new music and jazz and with the solid foundation of jazz/rock pioneer Bill Laswell and former Funkadelic member Bernie Worrell, this group makes stellar in-the groove music.
CD $20


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New on Tony Bevan's Foghorn label plus restocks on this fine label!

SUNNY MURRAY/JOHN EDWARDS/TONY BEVAN - The Gearbox Explodes! (Foghorn 9; EEC) Sunny Murray: Drums; John Edwards: Double Bass; Tony Bevan: Tenor & Bass Saxophones. Excerpts from this concert will appear in the documentary film 'Sunny's Time Now' by Antoine Prum to be released in 2008.
CD $17

BRUISE [TONY BEVAN/ORPHY ROBINSON/JOHN EDWARDS/ASHLEY WALES/MARK SANDERS] - We Packed Are Bags (Foghorn 8; EEC) Tony Bevan: tenor & bass saxophones; Orphy Robinson: steel drum, marimbula, percussion; John Edwards: double bass; Ashley Wales: soundscapes & electronics and Mark Sanders: drums & percussion. This is the third disc by Bruise, Tony Bevan's all-star quintet. The personnel have remained the same except for the addition of the late Derek Bailey on their second disc. Bass saxist, Tony Bevan, has worked with Derek Bailey, and runs the fine Foghorn label. I am beginning to see steel drummer, Orphy Robinson's name pop up recently with Charles Hayward in Clear Frame. The dynamic rhythm team of John Edwards and Mark Sanders has worked with Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall and Frode Gjerstad. Ashley Wales is of course half of Spring Heel Jack, whose new disc features (out 3/25/08) some of these same folks.
'We Packed Are Bags' consists of three long pieces, some 12, 26 and 37 & 1/2 minutes long and was recorded live at to gigs in September and October of 2005. "Big Paws" opens and is spacious and a bit ominous, like monsters awakened from a deep slumber. This music has a cinematic quality as it slowly unfolds. Tony's bass sax grumbles strange sounds while John's eerie bowed bass, Orphy's minimal steel drums, Ashley's sonic manipulations and Mark Sanders subtle percussion, weave a haunting web of sounds around one another into a fascinating tapestry of weirdness. It is hard to pinpoint who is doing what at times: is that a sax or a theremin or some other electronic sounds we are hearing? This piece builds into an intense alien work fueled by Mark's fractured yet phenomenal drums. "Long Face" is the longest piece and again builds from a quieter beginning. Tony's distinctive tongue-slapping sax sounds blend with well with the subdued cymbals and mystical bowed bass. This piece evolves into a great free/groove vibe as the tempo increases. The ultra-subtle alien electronics and cosmic bowing bring this into a sort-of Krautrock jam at times. Although the recording is not perfect, the overall sound is fine for some trance-inducing journey to the stars. - BLG
CD $17

MATTHEW BOURNE - The Molde Concert (Foghorn 7; EEC) 'The Molde Concert' is the first solo record by Perrier/BBC/IJFO Award Winning pianist Matthew Bourne [not the choreographer], recorded at the 2005 Molde Jazz festival. This performance was the penultimate concert in a series of festival dates programmed by the IJFO (International Jazz Festivals Organisation) on receipt of Bourne accepting their International Jazz Award in 2005. The Molde Concert documents perhaps one of Bourne's most raw, personal and undiluted statements to date and, consequently, the only solo concert of audio and musical quality that has been officially released in its entirety. Both innovative and intensely moving, The Molde Concert is a set to become a legendary recording, addressing the shortage of available performances by this vastly under-recorded pianist. Incidentally, Mr. Bourne, who occasionally screams and plays with his feet, lists as his key influences Scott Walker, Meshuggah, and Annette Peacock!
CD $17

and restocks on..

SUNNY MURRAY/JOHN EDWARDS/TONY BEVAN - Home Cookin' in the U.K. (Foghorn 4; EEC) As the pioneering master of free/jazz drumming (from forty years ago), Sunny needs little introduction, but does record rather infrequently. Here Sunny is joined by two great British improvisers, contrabassist John Edwards and saxist Tony Bevan. Edwards is a phenomenal bassist who can be heard on 15 + cds working with Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, John Butcher and Eddie Prevost. Mr Bevan instrument here is bass sax [his main axe], though he can also be heard on releases from Incus with Derek Bailey and Paul Rogers, and labels like Balance Point Acoustics and Scatter, playing tenor and soprano.
CD $17

BRUISE [TONY BEVAN/ORPHY ROBINSON/JOHN EDWARDS/ASHLEY WALES/MARK SANDERS] With DEREK BAILEY - Bruise With Derek Bailey (Foghorn 6; EEC) "Gig of the year - Derek Bailey's return in triumph from Barcelona to East London" Phillip Clark, "Jazz Review". Featuring: Derek Bailey: electric guitar; Tony Bevan: bass saxophones; Orphy Robinson: steel drum, marimbula, percussion, electronics, trumpet; John Edwards: double bass; Ashley Wales: soundscapes & electronics; Mark Sanders: drums and assorted percussion. Recorded live at the 291 Gallery in London, England by Ashley Wales.
CD $17

BRUISE [TONY BEVAN/ORPHY ROBINSON/JOHN EDWARDS/ASHLEY WALES/MARK SANDERS] - Bruised (Foghorn 5; EEC) A magical and transporting, down by law, A-list masterpiece, bass saxophonist Tony Bevan's Bruised is among the very deepest and most rewarding albums to come out of the UK this year, performed by a joined at the head, heart, and hip, genre-busting, genius lineup.
It's free improvisation, Jim, but not as we usually know it - so instinctively architectural that it's hard to believe it was collectively created wholly in the moment, and is now released entirely free of overdubs, edits, or any other post-prod studio artifice (but it was, and it is). It's free improvisation for people who think they don't like free improvisation - and for those who know they do. An acknowledged Jedi master of free music since the mid-'90s, with all the profile - or rather lack of it - that comes with the territory, Bevan's name is becoming more widely known right now through his featured participation on the Steve Reid Ensemble's mindbending mutant mutha, and international cult hit, Spirit Walk, on Soul Jazz Records.
Bruised will appeal both to devotees of Reid's free-your-ass-and-your-mind-will-follow aesthetic and to fully paid up, inner circle initiates of free improvisation. Massively, toweringly original, there are nonetheless distinct echoes of the early astral jazz of Pharoah Sanders: Bevan's masterful use of overtones, split tones, and deep down, bar-walking honks; the trippy drums and tuned percussion backdrops which are features of most tracks; the joyous lyricism of all the players; and the leisurely explorations of atmosphere, vibe, and texture. Sanders' signature motifs are brought up to the present, and into the future, by the assmilated music of the last 35 years and by live sampling and electronica.
The chemistry between the musicians is just perfect. Bevan, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Mark Sanders are of course three acutely responsive and uniquely creative group improvisers. Their lines are framed and enriched by Orphy Robinson's mostly-abstract tuned percussion (check out his marimbula, a giant bass thumb piano, on Rhinocrat) and live sampling (the mutated steel drum reverberations shadowing the bass saxophone on Bruised are out of this world wonderful), and the sonic inventions of Springheel Jack electronicist Ashley Wales, a subtle, musicianly, and compelling presence throughout, especially enjoyable on Sunhouse and Taxi Dance. If you love the Steve Reid Ensemble's Spirit Walk, it's an ace high certainty you'll love Bruised just as madly, just as badly, and vice versa. Do the right thing, stay in the rhythm. - Chris May (All About Jazz)
CD $17

TONY BEVAN/JEB BISHOP/JOHN EDWARDS/MICHAEL ZERANG - 'Nham (Foghorn 3; EEC) Featuring: Tony Bevan: tenor & bass saxophones; Jeb Bishop: trombone; John Edwards: double bass; Michael Zerang: drums & percussion. All pieces recorded on 19th May 2001 at The Gateway Studio, London by Steve Lowe. This is an excellent studio date featuring two Brits (Tony & John) and two players from Chicago (Jeb & Michael). Tony Bevan, who runs the Foghorn label plays bass (and tenor) sax. A bass sax is larger than a baritone sax and is most often held by a stand, since it is two big to hold in your hands. I've only seen a few musicians play this unwieldy instrument, Anthony Braxton (check out the cover of his last Victo CD) and JD Parran, who has placed one here at DMG. So, it is indeed rare to hear someone playing that big thing. Both Jeb Bishop and Michael Zerang have worked with Ken Vandermark and Peter Brotzmann in the Chicago Tentet and other projects. Since leaving the Vandermark 5, Jeb Bishop has kept busy playing with various projects like Globe Unity Orchestra, the Flatlands Collective & The Engines.
There is a strong balance found here of each musician contributing to the sound of the quartet equally. "Relics" begins minimally with small scrapes and hushed breath-like sounds. It sounds as if each note is stretched out and the sounds are moving in slow motion. The combination of a slowly note-bending drone on the trombone, the chattering of notes on the bass sax, eerie bowed bass and cryptic cymbals and gongs has a way of bringing us into another alien world. I dig the way that this is recorded so that we can hear each sound clearly and up close. On "Scraps," there is a great duo section with the trombone and bass spinning quickly together, bending their notes around one another carefully and becoming one sound at times. The title track is nearly 23 minutes long and is an exciting excursion through some fast and furious waves of intense playing. The playing builds into a dynamic flow and feels focused all the way through. Each member of the quartet gets a chance to solo and stretch out and shine. This is a particularly strong date from four fine musicians. - BLG
CD $17

TONY BEVAN/JOHN EDWARDS/MARK SANDERS - Nothing Is Permanent But Woe (Foghorn 2; EEC) Tony Bevan: bass saxophones; John Edwards: double bass; Mark Sanders: drums & percussion. "An exceptional trio session. Often the three operate at an exciting level of breakneck interaction that gives new meaning to the phrase swinging intensity"- Jazz Weekly (Canada)
An outstanding trio date! Here Tony Bevan concentrates on his large bass sax only with one of the British rhythm sections alive. Contrabassist John Edwards and dynamic drum wiz Mark Sanders have worked with Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall & Spring Heel Jack, as well as having a superb duo disc on Emanem. Beginning with the first track, the trio starts slowly with low-end rumbles, rattles and drones. These three instruments work so well together since they exist in a similar tonal range, often deep at the bottom end of the dense morass. The trio burns through the rapids, navigating the waters with intense results. Towards the end of the second piece, the trio sounds as if they are about to explode - whoa! Things get even more frightening on the third track with some incredible bowed bass and mysterious percussion. Considering that this disc is over an hour long, it is consistently engaging and most fascinating throughout. - BLG
CD $17

TONY BEVAN - Three Oranges [3" CD] (Foghorn 1; EEC) Tony Bevan: bass saxophone. A short set of solo bass saxophone improvisations recorded at The Orange Bar & Venue, London, on 15th July 1998.
CD $12



EVANGELISTA [CARLA BOZULICH] - Hello, Voyager (Constellation 050; Canada) We can call this a debut record of sorts, as it is the first album to be released under Carla Bozulich's new band moniker, Evangelista. Bozulich's first record for Constellation, issued in 2006, was released under her own name, and bore the album title Evangelista. That album title has now migrated to become the band name. So... this is the new album, titled Hello, Voyager, by the newly-named band Evangelista, featuring Carla Bozulich. You follow? No worries, there will not be a quiz. The Evangelista band continues to comprise Bozulich and Tara Barnes as its nucleus, and continues to build on its relationship with Montreal (where the last album was also made). Hello, Voyager was recorded in Montreal at the Hotel2Tango by Efrim Menuck in late summer 2007, with an even larger cast of Montreal musicians joining Carla, Tara and Shahzad Ismaily this time around, to work up a more stylistically diverse batch of songs. Raw, beautifully ravaged, semi-improvised soundscapes still underpin Carla's incantatory sung and spoken lyrics on the album's opening and closing tracks, but much of the rest of the record is more overtly composed. Blistering nuggets like the snarling 'Smooth Jazz' and the desperate 'Truth Is Dark Like Outer Space' are the most rocking tunes Carla has put to tape since the demise of The Geraldine Fibbers, while 'The Blue Room' (one of Carla's finest songs, and one she has been carrying around for many years) is finally captured in a stunning studio arrangement that includes organ, violin, cello and contrabass. 'Lucky Lucky Luck' is a playful, sassy, fractured take on the misfit narrative and 'Paper Kitten Claw' is its methodical, reflective, poetic foil. Carla's voice perfectly sets and channels the prevailing mood on each song, and is strong as ever. The new album includes contributions from over a dozen Montreal players, including most of Thee Silver Mt. Zion (chiefly on string arrangements), as well as Nadia Moss (organ) and a corps of local drummers who bang out the thunderous rhythm track on 'Smooth Jazz' and drive the epic sprawl of the album's closing title track."
CD $15


THE MAGIC ID [MARGARETH KAMMERER/CHRISTOFF KURZMANN/KAI FAGASCHINSKI/MICHAEL THIEKE] - Till My Breath Gives Out (Erstwhile ErstPop 01; USA) The Magic I.D. is a Berlin-based quartet exploring the juncture of song forms with abstract music. The band, consisting of Margareth Kammerer, Christof Kurzmann, Kai Fagaschinski and Michael Thieke, formed in summer 2005 after previously being connected via smaller groupings and projects. 'Till my breath gives out' is their debut release, and consists of six intricately constructed gems, each with its own individual shape, painstakingly sequenced to form a record that becomes more than the sum of its parts.
"I have to be upfront and admit that I've been extremely hesitant to attempt to put descriptive words to this music. I've put forth every possible procrastinatory excuse to NOT review this record for months now, and why? Because it's fantastic and alien, even in a shop that specializes in fantastic, alien sounds, even on a label (or rather a label's new subsidiary - "ErstPop" makes its debut here) which particularly states its case with some of the most fantastically alien sounds put to disc. Christof Kurzmann, Margareth Kammerer, Kai Fagaschinski and Michael Thieke sculpt and bend thickets of twin clarinets, guitars, and electronic clicks and pops with that most alien, fantastic instrument of all, and the one perhaps most unlikely to appear on an Erst-related release - the human voice.
Make no mistake, these are SONGS, and if anything, these are songs of protest - beautiful songs of protest, close in spirit to the groups of the Rock in Opposition school but with absolutely no "rock" to speak of. In fact, this group's quiet, personal anger speaks to me in much the same way that Scott Walker's recent work often does, with much of the same hushed, hairs-on-goosepimples menace, though minus the bombast and operatics. It's extraordinarily exciting to discover another group attempting to present a new work of songform much the same way that Walker has attempted; while this record certainly won't appeal to everyone, it is daring and beautiful, and the more I listen to it, more subtle nuances and references reveal themselves. I won't spoil those references for you here, as it's more satisfying & easy to discover them yourself with a few simple keystrokes and mouseclicks on Wikipedia alone, though I'll say that I'm pretty sure this is the first album to quote both the Black Panther party and the pinnacle of gauch-esque poetry. How do you "review" a record that has so few precedents? I suppose you don't - like any new language, the more you listen to and speak it yourself, the more you'll eventually learn. Kudos to all parties involved." - Mikey IQ Jones.
CD $13
Also available as Ltd Ed (500 copies) LP for $22


RRR: THE BEST [V.A.] - The Best (RRR 750; USA) "Extreme noise and power electronics, mostly all new artists. I asked people to submit 'the best track they ever recorded' and voil la, The Best -- features Halflings, Cathode Terror Secretion, Ichorous, Is, Brutophilia and Cherry Point, including 10 inserts, all covers hand decorated, 200 copies only."
LP $15


C JOYNES - God Feeds The Ravens (Bo Weavil 28; UK) "An exciting new release on Bo' Weavil's Wooden Weavil series. English acoustic guitarist C Joynes, a resident of Cambridge, has released a few self produced excellent CDRs. Joynes uses a heavy thumb-led finger-picking technique that harks back to traditional country blues and early ragtime, however, he uses this technique to explore alternative melodic traditions: the English folk-tune; North and West African music; elements of classical Indian music; proto-minimalist and impressionist musics from the European classical tradition. His approach to the recording and compositional process contains a subtle and unassuming experimentation, at times including collaged fragments, field recordings, processing, en-plein-air recordings, and cut-and-paste. The version of 'Since I Lay My Burden Down' incorporates variations on lyrics and vocal lines drawn from a different song entirely. He has a penchant for reworking over-familiar pieces and stripping them of their kitsch and cliche, presenting them afresh, such as with 'Christmas Medley,' the arrangement of 'A Night In Tunisia,' and the gospel-based 'And When The Sun Begins To Shine.' Joynes' music is instinctive, well-researched, placid, and evokes a certain simplicity and naivete."
CD $17


OCRILIM [MICK BARR] - ANNWN: Parts 1-7 (Hydra Head 144; USA) Mick Barr presents you with a symphonic opus for guitar. "Annwn" is a slight departure from his Xenakis-esque guitar complexities into a world of Wagner-esque exploration of triumphant harmonics via Iron Maiden. Mick has abandoned the drum machine accompaniment to focus a tonal cluster in the way of dueling guitar harmonics that simultaneously ebb in flow from in your face to in the background. Crazy thing is hearing him do this live; mind blowing to say the least. You will love it or hate, either way you can't ignore it! Even our beloved Bruce Gallanter, self-professed hater of most metal, liked this disc too! A true original in every sense of the word. Those who dug his CD on Tzadik should pick this one up too (or get both of them if you don't have them already). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $12


DANIEL A.I.U. HIGGS - Plays The Mirror Of The Apocalypse (Open Mouth 18; USA) A collection of Daniel Higgs's music from the year 2005. Surprisingly minimal and blatant mystic artwork on this CD, just a drawing of the star of David, no info on the cover, only inscribed with the sentiment of his general message on the back of the case "Peace Be Upon Thee". Fitting sparseness that compliments this 9 untitled track hour-long audio document finds the music by Higgs sans vocals.
The music here is a bit of a prequel to recent Higgs releases. It contains predominately rugged and raw psychedelic banjo with sitar drones that speak for themselves (with the exception of track 4 which includes an accordion and the solo jew's harp on track 9) that brings further insight to his journey. Perhaps it is his quest to show the parallels between bluegrass music and Indian ragas. Highlighting the similarities between two supposed disparate cultures. Another welcomed puzzle in the realm of Daniel Higgs. RECOMMENDED! - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $14


PRURIENT - And Still, Wanting [CD + 5" vinyl] (No Fun 27; USA) Prurient is Dominick Fernow, the noise version of Iggy Pop in his hey day with the Stooges; total raw power, primal energy, and scary as fuck! "And Still, Wanting" with lyrics printed and pictures of waterfalls, makes this release appear to be the most "accessible" Prurient release as of yet. Yet this is not for those who tread lightly, it is for the hardcore! Demonic electronics and distorted vocals. Prurient is determined to make you feel the music. You can't turn away, you are compelled to listen, even though you know it will hurt. Also as a bonus for vinyl aficionados, the CD is also packed with a novelty 5-inch vinyl, so dust off your record player, this needs to have the needle touch the wax. Recommended for fans of Merzbow/Genesis P-Orridge collaborations, Mauthausen Orchestra or even Death Squad. - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $12

PRURIENT/CARLOS GIFFONI - Heavy Rain Returns (Ideal 30; USA) A collaboration from the CEO's of noise, Carlos Giffoni (No Fun) and Dominick Fernow (Hospital) unite for a season of abyss. The artwork may hark back to the S&M staples of yesteryear but the sound speeds it up to modern times. Kicking it off with multi-timbral rhythmic pulsing that is interrupted with bombastic vocalizations then heads out into the aether. Loud and unruly analog electronics filtered through blood and sweat; tearing through speakers and your mind! This is dynamic fist-pumping electronics that does not choose to punch you in the face but instead bangs its head along with you. These guys work hard and they play hard. Very focused and effective. Their best work yet! What else would you expect from the poster boys of noise? Highly recommended! - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $12


More titles on Hospital Productions - Now at a Lower Price!

HOTOTOGISU/PRURIENT - Snail On A Razor (Hospital 159; USA) Collaborative effort between Hospital ceo/store owner Dominick Fernow (Prurient) with Marcia Bassest (Hototgisu/Zaimph/Double Leopards) and Matthew Bower (Hototogisu) who together create a nightmarish music to creep you out by. Cacophony is imminent with these three and that is what you get on this release. "Snail On A Razor" brings this oozing wall of sound scraping across the precision of uncertainty of escape. A perfect soundtrack to any gore film. Indecipherable screaming vocals, unrelenting feedback, and maddening drones. You lose your mind, there is no turning back, you are in the sound, the sound is you! - Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $12

MB - Symphony For A Genocide (Hospital; USA) Maurizio Bianchi, the man who was right there at the brink of creation of old school industrial along with Throbbing Gristle. "Symphony For A Genocide" is a reissue of long out of print recording from 1981. Utilizing shivering synthesizers and tape loops to create a harsh complex and rhythmic world of sound. One of the pioneers that withstands the test of time. For those who like their electronics in the vein of Whitehouse, Nurse With Wound, and other early industrial bands, pick this up. An essential document for the history of noise, synth enthusiast, and just plain electronics fan. RECOMMENDED! - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $12

NEW BLOCKADERS With THURSTON MOORE Or JIM O'ROURKE - The Voloptulist (Hospital 144; USA) [new lower price!] Two pieces performed by the New Blockaders, one with Mr. Moore, and one with Mr. O'Rourke. "High tension collaboration of long-drawn drone with English clutter dissolving into tape hiss ambient with booming free barbaric yawps from these legendary characters. Chris Corsano guests on the O'Rourke piece."
"The names on this release alone will be enticing; all from legandary stature in the experimental community. "The Voloptulist" is an EP containing two different collaborations. One being New Blockaders (aka Richard Rupenus) with Thurston Moore jamming on the title track; containing restrained guitar mutilations and strangely minimal electronics, which remains steady through out its 14 minutes. The other collaboration being New Blockaders with Jim O'Rourke called "840 Seconds Over" in which Chris Corsano is also joins in. Hissing electronics, feedback, metal scraping that erupts into a rock freak out with electronics, which was expected from the Thurston collaboration, but was pleasantly surprised with this rare O'Rourke riffage. Unfortunately the O'Rourke/Corsano cut is only 7 minutes, which while listening to it, made me want at least a 20-minute work out. Artwork by Dominick Fernow (Prurient). Worth it for the O'Rourke cut, alone." - Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $12

ZAIMPH - Sexual Infinity (Hospital 162; USA) Marcia Basset (Double Leopards, Hototogisu) solo guitar and electronics drone tone sound field. "Sexual Infinity" is like a slow howling wind of doom and gloom through pvc tubes next to an electrical fence to arouse the S&M side in you. A perpetual orgy of frequencies that she wrestles with, sometimes in control of and sometimes seemingly willingly dominated by. Six tracks of machine style noise with a little bit of vocalizing that only audibly peaks its head out on the end of "Isolation In Ectasy" (track 5) and resurfaces on the last track, "Double Infinity"; tracks in which to this listener sounds the most focus and intense. An unapologetic force in the burgeoning noise world. For fans of Black Metal ambience, Acid Mothers Temple wall of guitar freak outs, or starring at a strobe light in a dark room. Get it while its hot. - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $12

CONTROLLED BLEEDING [PAUL LEMOS/JOE PAPA/CHRIS MORIARITY] - Shanked and Slithering (Hospital 99; USA) Local legendary noise merchants Controlled Bleeding have been at it for upwards of two decades by now and occasionally emerge slithering from the depths of Long Island and into the curious ears of those brave enough to endure their sonic mayhem. The main core continues to feature Paul Lemos, Joe Papa and Chris Moriarty. They are and have been mainly a studio outfit with dozens of recordings, but very rarely perform live. Both Paul and Joe are longtime friends of mine. I look forward to speaking with them both, Paul's weekly Saturday sojourns to DMG to discuss which music is truly extreme and which is merely disappointing. Joe is an even bigger prog fanatic than Michael Parker or myself. Their music (noise?!?) can often be rather extreme as well!
'Shanked and Slithering' begins with an explosion of deadly noise turned up so loud that it is difficult to think about anything else. It is most appropriately titled "Swallowing Scrap Metal No. 9" and erupts with corrosive blasts of feedback and distorted, screaming vocals buried in the din. I am most reminded of Merzbow, Haino Keiji and other Japanese noise gods. Turns out that this is a collection of mainly unreleased tracks from lost sessions and out-of-print compilations. Although this is "noise" music, there is some semblance of actual songs and melodies often buried deep in the mix. It takes some getting use to, but once you get used to the violent, fractured sounds, it starts to make sense. It is much more diverse than you might think. Much of this sounds like sped up radio static or industrial samples and other manipulated sounds. I wonder if our friends at Other Music would be brave (silly?) enough to play an entire 11-minute track from this nightmarish soundtrack when their store was full of curious customers. At least I know what to play here at DMG when I need to challenge the diehards and force out the occasional wander-ins who cherish "soft rock"! - BLG
CD $12

KEVIN DRUMM/PRURIENT - All Are Guests In The House Of The Lord (Hospital 201; USA) "All Are Guests In the House of the Lord is the first collaboration between Prurient and Kevin Drumm. Both artists are regarded as singular stylistic entities in their own right. Kevin Drumm is known equally from his more improvised work with Jim O'Rourke and Taku Sugimoto as well as being a mainstay in the Chicago noise world with releases like Sheer Hellish Miasma on the Mego label. Prurient has been toiling in the fields of noise for over a decade and has developed an increasingly dynamic output incorporating darkly arranged synths. Their cumulative work displayed here is both unexpected and focused. Using source sounds of intense tonal drones supplied by Drumm, the two create a haunted atmosphere that is far removed from noise, exploring minimal junctures, using field recording and clean patient vocals to lead the way. All Are Guests In the House Of The Lord is among the darkest record in either artist's catalog. The subtle textures of the electronics combined with near-cinematic arrangements make for a record that is engaging and consistent in mood of tension."
CD $12


Just repressed - the must-have Loren Mazzacane Connors collection!

LOREN MAZZACANE CONNORS With SUZANNE LANGILLE - Night Through: Singles & Collected Works 1976-2004 [3 CD set] (Family Vineyard 36-3; USA) [2nd edition in 3 CD jewel case] Essential collection of singles from the legendary avant -blues guitarist Loren MazzaCane Connors spanning three decades from labels Road Cone, Table of the Elements, Father Yod, Connors' own St. Joan and others. Over three and half hours of music: 12 - 7-inch singles, 22 unreleased songs, compilation contributions, private CD-R's, collaborations with Suzanne Langille, Haunted House [live at Downtown Music Gallery!], Robert Crotty and other rare and unheard recordings, including a 1959 piece by Mary Mazzacane. 24-page booklet contains detailed notes on each track, never before seen photos, an essay by renowned blues scholar Dr. William Ferris and commentary from Road Cone's Mike Hinds, Connors, Langille, and others. Re-mastered by Jim O'Rourke from the original tapes.
"The 2 or 3 times that Loren's quartet Haunted House played at the old DMG on 5th St. were some of the most intense and inspired blues/psych rockin' moments that DMG has ever presented. Sounding somewhat similar to Neil Young & Crazy Horse, with two wailing electric guitars, an Egyption daf drummer and Suzanne Langille's immensely haunting vocals, is it any wonder Byron Coley still treasures those bootleg tapes that have been circulating ever since?" - BLG
3 CD set for $22

and, ON SALE.. !

MATS GUSTAFSSON & SONIC YOUTH With LOREN MAZZACANE CONNORS - Hidros 3: To Patti Smith (Smalltown SJ 80; EEC) [limited time sale, normally $15!] Hidros 3 is a composition by Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson for five guitars, electronics, voices, audiobox and contrabass sax. It is played in this version by most of Sonic Youth, Lorren Mazzacane Connors and quite a few others. Hidros 3 (sounding like a mining planet on which Sean Connery will fight a mining company's endemic corruption) begins with delightfully off-kilter free guitar work from an unquantifiable number of players who together sounds like a crowd of Derek Baileys bumping into each other! Now on sale, while supplies last..
CD $10



LOU HARRISON - Por Gitaro: Suites for Tuned Guitars (mode 195; USA) John Schneider, guitars, with Just Strings: T.J. Troy, Gene Sterling and Erin Barnes, percussion.1981 Interview about the guitar with Lou Harrison and John Schneider. Even though Lou Harrison rhapsodized about the "dulcet tones" of the guitar, for much of his career he refused to write for it. The problem was that the guitar's straight, fixed frets resulted in the tuning system known as equal temperament, while Harrison preferred the crystalline purity of harmony found in the types of tuning known as just intonation. In the 1970s, Harrison learned of a guitar with removable fingerboards, allowing the player to simply swap out fingerboards refretted with different tunings.
Energized by this innovation, Harrison completed the first works for just-intoned guitar: the Serenade for Guitar and Optional Percussion in 1978. He began the next work in the series, the Ditone Suite, but grew impatient trying to acquire the necessary fingerboards. Two and a half movements into the suite, he reluctantly turned away from his ambitious guitar project, adapting the Ditone Suite movements for his String Quartet Set. In 1981, the guitarist John Schneider met with Harrison and played his first arrangements of his harp works for just intonation guitar. With Harrison's authorization and encouragement, Schneider began adapting some of Harrison's other works into suites. This is the first complete recording of the reconstructed Suites and of the Ditone Set, as well a as the first recording of In Honor of the Divine Mister Handel in the version for guitar and gamelan. The recordings were made in Harrison's straw bale house in Joshua Tree, California, where the house's main hall was intended for musical performances.
CD $15


ARTHUR LEVERING - Still Raining, Still Dreaming (New World 80662; USA) "Arthur Levering (b. 1953) has throughout his career written music that stresses clarity and lightness of touch, even when it is dense with information or intense in its sonic impact. There's a marvelous athleticism to Levering's music. His rhythmic sense is unerring, and probably does more than anything else to clarify and drive his ideas. Changes of texture, tempo, and harmony all occur just where they should, and keep up the momentum. One thing that makes him exceptional among composers who feel an allegiance to modernism is his transparent orchestration. It's more than just a glittering surface; his choice of color and texture is as important a structural tool in the music's development as any other parameter. Still Raining, Still Dreaming (1996, rev. 2001), scored for 'Pierrot' sextet, is a memorial tribute to the Japanese master Toru Takemitsu, as the presence of both 'rain' and 'dream' in the title suggests. 'Echoi' (1999), a three-movement work for violin and piano, is not the expected traditional sonata. The 'echoes' of the title seem to exist on multiple levels. One feels cross-references of ideas from one movement to another and the extensive use of repetitive motives is another sort of 'reverberance.' 'Sppooo' (2001) is a piece that makes you wonder why there isn't already a literature for celesta and vibraphone. 'Tesserae' for viola and piano (2002) is a set of variations on a 32-note theme. While a close cousin of Still Raining, Still Dreaming, with its measured tremolo, sharp low thuds, and tolling center section, those similarities in fact demonstrate how a composer can develop a set of devices that s/he then recycles creatively from one work to another. 'Catena' (2000) is a work for piano and a chamber orchestra of sixteen players."
CD $15


RAYMOND SCOTT QUINTET - Ectoplasm: 1948-1949 (Basta 9155; EEC) Raymond Scott (1908-1994) was known for his late 1930s cartoon jazz, the breezy parlor jazz of his late '40s quintet, and his pioneering] 50's & '60s electronica, all of which demonstrate his wit, eccentricity, and cross-generational appeal. 2008 marks the Scott centennial. This is the first of several planned CDs of archival material, fully re-mastered and featuring selections from vinyl as well as many previously unreleased tracks. The thick booklet includes incisive liner notes by Irwin Chusid, interviews with Raymond Scott and members of his band, many pictures and album cover artwork.
"Considering that this music was recorded in the middle of the bebop era, it is not very bebop-like. It is still quite quirky, unique and fascinating. It is still cartoon-like in the way it is animated and quick-changing. It embraces a variety of cultures and genres, yet it remains distinctively Raymond Scott's own. The arrangements are quite crafty and remind me of modern classical music without any of the overly dark or overly complex for its own sake type of problems. Both the clarinetist (Jerry Winner) and tenor saxist (Joe Palmer) play many short, great solos. What amazes me is that here is an American composer and bandleader who was making great, complex music in the late forties that could still be considered "popular music", a couple of decades before Frank Zappa also invented his own complex blend of multiple categories and genres. Most impressive!" - BLG
CD $15

RAYMOND SCOTT - Soothing Sounds For Baby Vol 2 (6 to 12 Months) (Basta 9065; EEC) Features the incredible 17-minute track "The Toy Typewriter" which Irwin Chusid has referred to as " Metal Machine Music For Babies". Unbelievably great reissue of LP originally issued by Epic in 1963. Utilizing a proto-Electronium, oscillators, an Ondioline, tape echo and other primitive electronics, this is shockingly contemporary sounding and nothing like Scott's familiar cartoon-jazz and orchestral work.
CD $13

DR. SAMUEL J HOFFMAN//LES BAXTER, cond. - Theremin - Three Classic Albums: Music Out Of The Moon/Perfume Set To Music/Music For Peace Of Mind [3 CD set] (Basta 9093; EEC) "Three out-of-print and long-sought albums featuring the ethereal sound of the Theremin are being reissued by Basta in a boxed set. Music Out of the Moon, Peace of Mind, and Perfume Set to Music have been digitally cleaned and have never sounded more beautiful. The music, by famed composer Harry Revel, is performed on Moon and Perfume by Exotica icon Les Baxter, and on Peace of Mind by bandleader Billy May. On all three albums, the eerie-sounding Theremin is played by the legendary Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman, wizard of the instrument. Liner notes were penned by Albert Glinsky, currently finishing a Theremin history book, Out of Thin Air (University of Illinois Press). The CD booklet includes many rare photographs, and each disc is packaged in the original sleeve artwork." Very elegant package; cheapskate alert: these are short albums, total playing time for the 3 CD set is about 54 minutes.
3 CD set for $28

OCOBAR - Chatroubadour (Basta 1492; EEC) Ocobar composes and performs, as they called it, Music DeLuxe. Geert Chatrou is a two-time World Whistling Champion in Louisiana, and these songs were written especially for him, giving him room to display all his talents. Pucker Up, a documentary about the Whistling World Championship, recently screened at the Florida Film Festival and won both main awards. Music from this CD is featured in the film!
CD $15



BLG reviews recent Tasty Treats..

ULRICH GUMPERT WORKSHOP BAND - Unter Anderem / Echos Von Karolinehof [2 CD Set] (JazzWerkStatt 070; Germany) Featuring Ulrich Gumpert on piano, Heinz Becker on trumpet, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowky, Manfred Hering, Iri Antonow & Helmut Forsthoff (2nd disc only) on saxes & clarinet, Connie Bauer on trombone, Klaus Koch on double bass and Gunter "Baby" Sommer on drums. Now that I've got a copy of this gem in my hands, I realize that it is a reissue of two early FMP albums, long out-of-print and pretty rare. I only know of about half of the members of this fine nine-piece band, but I was knocked out nonetheless. Since checking out Ulrich Gumpert's other great disc on JazzWerkStatt called, 'Smell a Rat,' I've checked out his history. Mr. Gumpert can be heard on more than 20 albums performing solo, duos with Gunter Sommer & Steve Lacy, plus being a member of the great Zentralquartett.
The first disc is titled 'Unter Anderem: 'N Tango Fur Gitti' and was recorded in July of 1978. It starts with a march called "Marsch" and if you know the great Creative Orchestra Music record by Braxton, you know that even a march can be a great thing. Anyway, it features a cool drum solo, a siren and crafty arrangements. "Konigskindisch" is a joyous piece that keeps changing styles and features some great sax by Iri Antonow. I dig the way Ulrich splits the band up by having two themes going on at once, with an amazing solo by Heinz Becker on flugel. "Aus Baby's Wunderhorn" features some swaggering horns, burning freely in parts and eventually swinging hard. Bassist Klaus Koch sounds great throughout, sometimes burning furiously and always holding things together. The unstoppable, Connie Baurer, takes an incredible solo towards the end of the first side. The second long second side is even better with more powerful arrangements and playing in the Keith Tippett Group mode. Each of the three fines saxists gets a chance to take strong solos as do the trumpet and trombone players. Ulrich's inspired and at times crazed piano also keeps the rest of the rhythm team on their toes as they move though different sections. The recording is also consistently superb and perfectly balanced.
'Echos Von Karolinehof' was recorded in March of 1979 in Berlin with Helmut Forsthoff replacing Iri Antonow on tenor sax. It begins with "Hahnenkopf" an odd, sort of goofy piece that starts one way and soon moves into some intense free and furious space. Although there are free sections, the entire piece does sound well worked out in advance with some selectively placed charts. "Septettfragment" has some monstrous, blasting horns, but again is balanced by more somber written sections with some eerie drones floating on top. Perhaps it is Helmut Forsthoff's burning, bent-toned tenor that is featured on this piece - I'm not sure who it is, just that it is amazing. On "Blau Blusen Blues," the trombone and sax both solo at the same time while the rest of the band burns underneath. The rich horn harmonies on the title track are again inspired and most memorable. The final piece begins sparsely with haunting cymbals and distant vocal sounds and includes bent vocalized horn sounds, tight conducted blasts and a great deal of unexpected twists and turns. Overall, it is indeed a magnificent work that takes us places we never thought we would end up in. Special thanks to JazzWerkStatt for unleashing these two little known early FMP treasures. - BLG
2 CD Set for $25

JOE McPHEE & DOMINIC DUVAL - The Open Door (CIMPoL 5003; USA) Recorded live at Casa del Popolo in Montreal in June of 2006 and featuring Joe McPhee on alto sax only and Dominic Duval on contrabass. Joe and Dominic have been playing together in different combinations for the past decade with some ten discs from their group Trio X. This is only their second disc as a duo and it is an extraordinary live date that was well-recorded by our friends up at Cadence/North Country. The small theatre at Casa del Popolo is great place to hear music, an intimate, rectangle-shaped room with the stage up high, the bar at the back and the audience in the center. Joe McPhee is a most distinguished multi-horn player, who switches from tenor to soprano saxes to pocket trumpet to valve trombone. It seems as if he plays his alto sax on rare occasion, so here we find him on alto sax only. Dominic is certainly one of the finest acoustic bassists to emerge from the downtown network and is in fine form here as well.
Dominic starts off the set with some superb, quick, warm and free-flowing bass. He sets the tone just right for Joe to enter into his own web of spinning notes. This duo has an amazing way of working together, blending their notes into one continuous stream. About 7 minutes in, the get into a lovely lyrical section that is tasty and quite touching. As Dominic starts to break into some magical harmonics, Joe swirls his note around in perfect response. There are many moments of stark beauty here that one might expect from these two avant/jazz players, yet it feels just right to bring us into the fray before we launch off into more intense, freer sections. The opening of "Freedom to Choose" features some soft, breath-like fragmented sax sounds. The duo builds into a powerful free-wheeling excursion that reaches higher and higher, with Dominic banging on his bass at times. There is a section on the title track where Joe bends his notes in a different ways as Dom also stretches his notes inside-out. Joe plays with a certain poignant feeling on "Rainbow Crossing" while Dom plays elegantly underneath. There is a deep organic resonance here as these two gifted spirits play superbly and often sublimely together. They end with "Variations on God Bless the Child" and it is done quite nicely, a most fitting conclusion to another excellent disc from the fine folks at CIMPoL. - BLG
CD $16

OPEN LOOSE [MARK HELIAS/TONY MALABY/TOM RAINEY] - Strange Unison (Radio Legs 013; USA) Featuring Tony Malaby on tenor sax, Mark Helias on double bass & compositions and Tom Rainey on drums. This is the fifth fine disc from Mark Helias' great trio, Open Loose. Except for their first disc that featured Ellery Eskelin on tenor, the personnel has pretty much remained the same. Over the past few years, whenever I've heard Mark Helias play live, he has knocked my out each time. Mark opens "Graveling" with his magical bass sound/approach. This is a most perfectly balanced trio with each member an integral part of the group sound. Tony's warm and enchanting tone is at the center of this tune with Mark's resonant bass and Tom's distinctive swirling drum style. "Blue Light Down the Line" is a fine laid-back and bluesy song with Tony's blustery, old-school tenor tone swaying slowly in the shadows. "Sonic Rights" is a hoot, a slightly twisted tune with an odd structure that is as difficult to explain as it is to play. The production here is superb with Mark's bass lusciously recorded. The opening bass intro on "CBJ" is just magnificent sonically speaking. When Tony's haunting tenor comes in, it is just too much, a big sound, a grand tone that is hard to deny. I love the way the trio jumps through dynamic hoops on "Illustrate" as they shift through a complex set of changes. Like wow! The bass and drums solo together near the end and are just incredible in the telepathic interplay. Master drummer, Tom Rainey, is another secret/special ingredient here, he constantly moves in mysterious ways, his playing has a unique, organic way of weaving his own percussive style within structure and style of each piece. Tom has a way of making the other members sound better, balancing the rhythm, melodic and composition perfectly. It seems to me that each disc by Open Loose just gets better, more focused and solid as a one force or statement. A most mature offering like expensive wine or fine cheese. Dig in, my friends, for a fine meal for ears, heart and soul. - BLG
CD $15

MARC EDWARDS & SLIPSTREAM TIME TRAVEL - 12 Votes! (Alpha Phonics R2; USA) Featuring Tor Snyder & Ernest Anderson III on electric guitars, Jeffrey Shurdut on piano, Blaise Siwula on alto sax, Francois Grillot on bass and Marc Edwards on drums & direction. This disc was recorded live at two gigs: The Hook in December of 2006 and at ABC No Rio in November of 2006. Marc Edwards remains one of the best, powerhouse, free/jazz master drummers and bandleaders to come from NY in the past two decades. His work with Cecil Taylor and David S. Ware was phenomenal and he continues to evolve the free/jazz storm with his own series of ensembles. Three discs have been released in the past year on his own Alpha Phonics label and each one is a powerful offering.
"Ion Storm" opens at full blast with wailing trumpet, electric guitars and rock solid drums. The title seems most appropriate since it does sound as if we are in the middle of a fierce storm or hurricane. Both guitars are screaming as Marc's furious, fast, pounding drums kick everyone in the butt. There seems to be an unnamed trumpet here burning as well, so I will have to ask Marc about who he is. "Morning Dew" (not the song that the Dead cover) is actually laid back and features some fine brushwork by Marc and eerie guitars. Marc kicks off "Floating in Space" some mighty fine drums as the guitars build around him. The title of this piece is most appropriate, as it does have a cosmic, space/jam-like vibe. The gig at ABC No Rio is from a couple of weeks earlier and it sounds like Blaise is replacing whoever played trumpet at the other set. Again, "Ion Storm" opens and it is even heavier with both mutant guitars wailing together in a massive frenzy. Although the music is not that well recorded, the force of the music is undeniable. It almost sounds as if one of the guitarists is playing a melody that is buried beneath the free frenzy. Marc's fine drumming remains at the center even when the ensemble glides back down to the earth for more restrained moments. No doubt that the great Francois Grillot is playing his fine acoustic bass underneath the din, but it hard to tell at times. Again, it is the overall sound that is awesome, not the distinct sound of any individual player. The final piece, "Interdimensional Gateway" is another powerful, slew of freeform insanity that burns through a haze of wailing sax, buzzing guitar, rambling piano and invigorating drums. The overall vibe is almost too much at times, yet just enough to take us on an extreme journey to another world. - BLG
CD $12


[BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY] CHARLES GAYLE/WILLIAM PARKER/RASHIED ALI - Touchin' On Trane (Jazzwerkstatt 24; Germany) [Reissue of FMP CD 48] Charles Gayle tenor sax; William Parker double bass; Rashied Ali drums. Recorded 1991.This is the long-awaited reissue of what some consider to be the finest Charles Gayle date, with the all-star trio that is known as By Any Means Necessary [although the name was not used on this, their one recorded release]. This great trio reunited for the Vision Fest a couple of years back and were equally amazing!
"This is Charles Gayle's most accessible work. Gayle's mastery of free jazz is blended with a more traditional compositional style of jazz on this disc. Touchin' on Trane is composed of five original songs, and even includes ex-Coltrane drummer Rashied Ali. As the title insists, Coltrane is the influence for the music on this disc. The influence ranges from the upbeat tempo of "Giant Steps" in "Part A," while "Part D" is reminiscent of Coltrane's "Live in Japan" performances. Gayle, bassist William Parker, and Ali don't copy Coltrane, but rather expand on his accomplishments. Without covering any songs, Touchin' on Trane is the greatest John Coltrane tribute album." - Brian Flota / AMG
CD $17



ENNIO MORRICONE - Morricone Giallo [sndtck s] (Cherry Red/Bella Casa 05; UK) The Giallo is a type of thriller particular to Italy. Maestro Ennio Morricone defined it sound and atmosphere, ultimately scoring more of the genres films than any other composer. "Morricone Giallo" is the latest edition in Cherry Red's Morricone Retrospective.
CD $17

Also back in stock...

GRUPPO DI IMPROVISAZIONE NUOVA CONSONANZA [ENNIO MORRICONE] - Nuova Consonanza (Cherry Red/Bella Casa 09; UK) Reissue of this 1975 self-titled album, originally released on the Cinevox label. Tracks are: "Settimino", "Eflot", "Soup", "Scratch". Two of these are also commonly available on CD on the Edition RZ compilation, unfortunately; the other two ("Settimino" & "Scratch") are not on CD, so you have approx 30 minutes of exclusive/rare material here on this release. Gruppo are the classic Italian freeform outfit from the 60s & 70s, still pretty undocumented on CD. All pieces created by: Giovanni Piazza, Ennio Morricone, Mario Bertoncini, Gualtiero Branchi, Francesco Evangelisti, Egisto Macchi, Jesus Villa Rojo. "The least known and rarest musical exploration of Ennio Morricone's career. He played trumpet in the extraordinary Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza from 1965 when it was founded by composer Franco Evangelisti. These lengthy improvised sound collages are challenging to listen to but have their own beauty and are of serious historical importance. Gruppo recorded albums for RCA Italia and Cinevox up to 1975 including under Morricone's auspices, soundtracks for the trippy Gli Occhi Freddi Della Paura and Un Tranquillo posto di Campagna where their improvised 35 minute suite mirrored the formal score.
CD $17



Copies found of this gem - don't hesitate!

JOE HENRY With MARC RIBOT/ORNETTE COLEMAN/BRAD MEHLDAU/BRIAN BLADE - Scar (Mammoth; USA) [1999] For the last five years, Joe Henry has gradually taken his songwriting into hidden areas, exploring the different textures of shadow with occasional forays into the twilight of the human heart. Longing has been painted upon the smoky backdrop of every song he's written. His protagonists have been mixtures of Oliver Gant from Thomas Wolfe, the man whose passion was just beyond his reach, never quenching his thirst, to working cats that Raymond Carver has illustrated well -- men who've noticed the lack in their soul cavities when it comes to love, often realizing too late that it, and it alone, is the only thing humans have. And Henry, despite the increasing psychological and emotional depth of his lyrical character studies and an increasingly angular method of his storytelling, has always been able to put these varying literary tropes into love songs that register without a lot of fuss. They tell it, though it doesn't really matter exactly what, because the person who needs to hear them does. On Scar, his eighth album, Henry follows his other obsession down the rabbit hole: the myriad ways in which sound and texture can become musical instruments themselves in order to paint a song properly. Scar, his highly textured sonic meditation on love and its twisted redemptive power, features a list of highly visible musicians that help make this the album Henry's been trying to make his entire adult life. Producing and contributing to four soundtracks hasn't hurt Henry a bit in his quest to make his music finish the story his lyrics sketch out. With the help of producer Craig Street, Henry moves the bell further down the wire of soulful yet accessible pop music.
The opener, "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation," slips its smoky way into being with a whining guitar by Marc Ribot, a vibraphone by Brian Blade, and Henry's cigarette-stained vocal: "Sometimes I think I've almost fooled myself/Spreading out my wings above us like a tree/Laughing now out loud/Almost like I was free/I look at you as the thing I wanted most/You look at me and it's like you see a ghost/I wear the face all of this has cost/Everything you tried to keep away from me/Everything I took from you and lost." It's a blues tune, where steel guitar is trumped by Ornette Coleman's alto blowing his deepest soul-blues. He thins the lyric yet digs its knife in deeper. By the tune's nadir, the protagonist has shrunk to the vanishing point and disappears in a wisp of smoke. From here the disc moves into a broken, slippery Cuban mambo driven by Brad Mehldau and Blade. Ribot chimes the lyric through and the love song asserts itself in earnest: "Don't tell me to stop/Tell the rain not to drop/Tell the wind not to blow 'cause you say so/ Tell me love isn't true/It's just something we do/Tell me everything I'm not/But don't tell me to stop." Ribot rings through the rhythm section, filling it with droning melodic lines that knot themselves around Henry's vocal. The string sounds give the impression of a son band from time immemorial winding their way into the mix. Despite Ribot's seductive riffing and Blade's New Orleans' double-time rhythm, "Mean Flower" is a ballad coming from the center of a heart so broken, all it shines is prismatic light. Its protagonist has literally nothing left to lose by his proclamation; he's been through the purification process and speaks only to make sure the beloved who's ripped from him his essence knows that he knows the truth. He is not judgmental in his brokenness, but is illuminated in the purity of his burning, bleeding heart. (If Leonard Cohen's notion that "There is a crack in everything/That's where the light gets in" is true, Henry's singer is all light.) The final track, the album's namesake, is an opus at 14:21. Lyrically it's as direct as anything Henry's ever written, but it's an entire film score rolled into one love song. It's poetry too genuine, so metaphorical and rich in imagery, that it would be a disservice to quote from it. It is the most beautiful of the many beautiful songs Henry has written. Texturally, everything but a clarinet line paints the landscape as an early New Orleans Sunday, and the acoustic guitars are buried in a slow, rhythmic mix. Here Henry takes his cinematic vision and lets it illustrate brokenness and determination, celebrating them both as being as good as it gets, and that's plenty fine. The fact that after the songs fades it becomes a backdrop for Ornette Coleman to blow is just fine; he lays out the soul and blues in his horn in the void. Scar, with its rich poetic tapestries and complex musical and atmospheric architectures, is Henry's highest achievement thus far. He has moved into a space that only he and Tom Waits inhabit in that they are songwriters who have created deep archetypal characters that are composites -- metaphorical, allegorical, and "real" -- of the world around them and have created new sonic universes for them to both explore and express themselves in. Scar is a triumph not only for Henry -- who has set a new watermark for himself -- but for American popular music, which so desperately needed something else to make it sing again. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $11



New RVG remasters on Blue Note!

JUTTA HIPP With ZOOT SIMS - Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] Like Blue Note's founders, Jutta Hipp was a German native transplanted in New York. Most of her Blue Note efforts were trio affairs, but this album stands out not only for her masterful bop-inspired piano but also for the presence of the great Zoot Sims in the front line. Two additional tunes from the session have been added to the CD.
CD $12

IKE QUEBEC - Blue & Sentimental (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] w/ Grant Green, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Clark, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes. Ike Quebec's timeless, big-toned tenor was a frequent visitor to Rudy Van Gelder's studio in the early sixties. But this album from December 1961 with spare, soulful backing from Grant Green, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones is his masterpiece. The leaner setting works perfectly, evoking an aura of relaxation and monumentality, with the deepest blue of accents. Two additional tunes from the session are added to the CD.
CD $12

JIMMY SMITH - Live At The Baby Grand Vol 1 (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] Jimmy Smith's initial success was in the many urban, inner city jazz clubs that dotted America in the 1950s. Blue Note decided to venture out of New York and capture their unique new jazz star in his element at Club Baby Grand, Wilmington, Delaware on August 4, 1956. The trio is smokin' and this revolutionary organist plays like a man possessed. His 12-minute excursion on "The Preacher" and dazzling extended improvisation on "It's Allright with Me" are among the highlights of these two volumes.
CD $12

JIMMY SMITH - Live At The Baby Grand Vol 2 (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] See Above..
CD $12

LOUIS SMITH - Here Come Louis Smith (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] Memphis-born, Atlanta-based trumpeter Louis Smith was the discovery of Tom Wilson who originally produced this album for his own Transition label but ultimately sold the master to Blue Note, who immediately signed Smith which eventually led to his joining Horace Silver's quintet. The only example of him with Silver is the recently released Horace Silver Live at Newport '58 (Blue Note CD 03163). On his debut here, he is teamed with Cannonball Adderley (billed on the original album as Buckshot LaFunke) and a first-class New York rhythm section. Smith's playing is as clean and inventive as that of his influences Fats Navarro and Clifford Brown. Had he not returned to music education, he would have been a major jazz star in an era of giants.
CD $12


MARY LOU WILLIAMS With ROY HAYNES/RONNIE BOYKINS - A Grand Night For Swinging (HighNote 7180; USA) This High Note release is a live recording of Mary Lou Williams at the Statler Hotel in Buffalo during the winter of 1976 accompanied by bassist Ronnie Boykins and drummer Roy Haynes. First off, these tapes were from a private collection and there is a noticeable amount of tape hiss and some crackle throughout. It hardly matters, though, because in spite of it, all three instruments can be heard with startling clarity and immediacy. The material, astonishingly enough, includes only one Williams' original. An accomplished composer, even a prolific one, Williams is heard here playing through tunes like Billy Taylor's "A Grand Night for Swinging" -- a tune she actually opens and closes with -- Vernon Duke and George Gershwin's "I Just Can't Get Started," "My Funny Valentine," Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol's "Caravan," W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues," and, compellingly, "Baby Man," which proceeds from it. Saxophonist John Stubblefield wrote the latter cut. This is poignant in that Williams was capable and indeed saw great value in celebrating the modernism of jazz as a fitting and necessary part of its evolution, just as certain critics as well as musicians were turning from it. The way both pieces are played here are startling, full of finesse, grand rhythmic interplay, and a jaw dropping harmonic reach by the pianist, who had been playing professionally for over 50 years at this point. Here she was still in charge and could front a rhythm section like this with the ease of total command and enjoy its sense of support and skittering improvisation. The only Williams' composition here is "Bag's Blues," a striking variation on Milt Jackson's "Bag's Groove," the melody of which she quotes and harmonically extrapolates on from the very beginning of its performance. [The final cut on the CD is a nearly five-minute interview with Williams.] This is a welcome and necessary entry in Williams catalog. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $15


GABOR SZABO - Bacchanal/1969 (Cherry Red/El 37; UK) Two albums on one CD, of exquisite sixties jazz psychedelia from "The Nureyev Of The Guitar". Gabor Szabo was one of the most original guitarists to emerge in the sixties; crafting a distinctive sound that fused jazz, pop, gypsy, Indian and middle-eastern music-often involving long melodic passages punctuated by feedback and drone-to create a highly mystical and unique style. Escaping Hungary on the eve of the 1956 communist uprising, Szabo and family eventually settled in California. meeting Chico Hamilton in Los Angeles, Gabor began an important four-year tenure in the drummer1s pioneering jazz quintet during which the band recorded a number of landmark albums and in 1965 contributed brilliantly effective music to roman polanski1s dark psychological masterpiece Erepulsion. By 1968 and living in Hollywood with Elizabeth Taylor and Katherine Hepburn as neighbours, Szabo formed the eclectic skye records with vibists Gary McFarland and Cal Tjader, embarking on two solo albums that would cement his classy reputation. With "Bacchanal" Gabor triumphed in his experiments with feedback and eastern-tinged psychedelic re-workings of contemporary tunes. the album enjoys many high points opening with an intense, ethereal "three king fishers" and including a particularly lovely reading of Lee Hazeiwood's "Some Velvet Morning". On "1969", the guitarist performs melodic hits of the day with elegance in a program featuring Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", The Beatles1 "Dear Prudence" and a gorgeous interpretation of classic IV's "Stormy". This pair of very different but complimentary albums prove equally satisfying.they were produced by the gifted Gary McFarland and have aged like fine wine, sounding far ahead of their time. At the turn of the decade, Carlos Santana (a friend who gained much inspiration from Gabor's work) recorded a Szabo composition "Gypsy Queen" for his hit album "Abraxas". Over the ensuing years Gabor would make albums with Lena Home and Bobby Womack and sue the church of scientology for $21 million dollars for kidnapping, embezzlement and inept artist representation
CD $17



Moondog Vinyl repressed!

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - Playing Moondog's Music [10" LP] (Honest Jon's 017; UK) Recorded in 1955, released on his own short-lived Moondog label. 4 tracks of manic saxophone and snare drum mayhem. You will not find an original of this anywhere. Blind from the age of 17, classically trained in music, Moondog aka Louis Hardin left the countryside in the late 1940s to busk on the streets of New York, playing percussion instruments of his own creation. He later became the darling of the NY arts & music set. He also recorded for Folkways, Woody Herman's Mars label, then Prestige and CBS."
LP $14

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - Moondog And His Friends [10" LP] (Honest Jon's 024; UK) "Originally released in 1953 on the Epic label -- a fantastic collection of recordings from the eccentric genius that was Moondog. This mini-album features Moondog's pioneering techniques in tape overdubbing -- he harmonizes with himself on voice, double bass and home-made drums. Touches of his classical music education are underpinned by his signature and irresistible Native American rhythms. Epic, prophetic, naive -- seriously lovable music. 10" vinyl only release."
LP $14

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - The Viking of Sixth Avenue (Honest Jon's 118; UK) "This new release from Honest Jon's is the first overview of Moondog's amazing artistic life -- including recordings spanning from 1949 till 1995, with numerous 78s and various other vanished records revived for the first time (not to mention a couple of Weegee photographs!). Though the compilation is rooted in the decades Moondog regularly lived rough in New York City, performing on street corners -- 'the Viking Of Sixth Avenue' -- at the same time it lays the music's claim to the future. It makes vivid sense of his inspiration of fans from Igor Stravinsky to Bob Dylan, Mr Scruff to Frank Zappa, Charlie Parker to Elvis Costello, Janis Joplin to Anthony And The Johnsons. As Moondog put it himself in 1989 -- 'I still love horned helmets and swords and spears. I like to feel that I'm loyal to my past. I wouldn't want to be on the street anymore. But, you know, that led to a lot of things.' Moondog was born Louis Thomas Hardin on May 26, 1916, in Marysville, Kansas. Noting the five-year-old's interest in percussion, his father -- an Episcopal minister -- took him to see an Arapaho Sun Dance. During the ritual the budding musician was allowed to sit on Chief Yellow Calf's lap and play the tom-tom. This experience -- and later playing tom-tom and flute with the Blackfoot tribe in Idaho at another Sun Dance -- would have a profound and lasting effect on the development of his own music and ideas. 'The American Indians have this basic beat,' Moondog said in 1995, 'a heartbeat in two speeds -- a walking beat (in twos) and a running beat (in four). I use those rhythms to this day. In fact it just came to me recently that American Indian music is just so syncopated that any jazz musician -- especially in the swing era -- would see a clear connection between jazz and Indian music. Those songs are not improvised -- they've been handed down from generation to generation -- they're extremely old. I think of America as an 'Old World' too, maybe older culturally than Europe.' And elsewhere: 'Harmonically, my music is the same as Bach, Beethoven and Brahms; rhythmically, it goes back to the past -- the swing rhythms of the Indians. You really couldn't find anything more syncopated.'"
2 LP set for $22
also available on CD for $17



The first album from Egg finally arrived in its new re-release, so here's all 3 now back in stock!

EGG [DAVE STEWART/DIRK MONT CAMPBELL/CLIVE BROOKS] - Egg (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2035; UK) The now legendary debut album by Egg is finally available on CD for the first time in the UK for over ten years. Egg featured the talents of Dave Stewart [ex-Arzachel which also featured Steve Hillage] on Keyboards, Mont Campbell on Bass and Clive Brooks on Drums and were associated with the so-called "Canterbury" style of rock music pioneered by artists such as Caravan and Soft Machine. The trio produced music of startling originality and energy, drawing on influences ranging from rock to jazz to psychedelia to classical. This fusion resulted in one of the most enduring releases to appear on Decca's short lived Nova imprint and is now critically regarded as one of the more unique albums of the early 1970's. Remastered from the original tapes, the Esoteric Discs reissue includes three bonus tracks, including both sides of the bands only single and "Movement 3" from the albums notorious opus "Symphony No. 2", now restored in its rightful place in this extended composition.
CD $20

EGG [DAVE STEWART/DIRK MONT CAMPBELL/CLIVE BROOKS] - The Polite Force (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2036; UK) Egg's second album appeared on the Deram label in 1971 and follows on from the bands adventurous debut. It receives its debut UK CD release on this Esoteric Discs reissue, remastered from the original tapes and with extensive liner notes.
CD $20

EGG [DAVE STEWART/DIRK MONT CAMPBELL/CLIVE BROOKS] - The Civil Surface (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2003; UK) EGG were exponents of the so-called "Canterbury" style of rock music and were focussed around the compositional and keyboard playing skills of Dave Stewart (later in HATFIELD & THE NORTH) and Mont Campbell and Clive Brooks. The band recorded two superb albums for Decca Records between 1969 & 1971 before going their separate ways. In 1974 they recorded their final album for the newly established Virgin Record label. Featuring guest musicians such as STEVE HILLAGE and members of the unique HENRY COW, "The Civil Surface" is now regarded as a classic of the "Canterbury" and "Progressive" genres. This ESOTERIC RECORDINGS release has been remastered from the original tapes and is certain to the many who made the reissues of EGG's previous work such a success
CD $20


BILL FAY - Bill Fay (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2037; UK) Bill is an enigmatic UK based singer, songwriter and pianist whose work is impossible to categorize. His late 60's early 70's work has a strong cult following, is highly regarded by many music journalists and is dark and haunting with songs rarely going over 3 minutes. Bill was originally signed to Decca and between 1967 and 1971 the label released a beautifully odd single (Some Good Advice/Screams In The Ears) and two excellent albums (the lush, orchestrated Bill Fay and the rawer Time Of The Last Persecution).). Bill's fantastic songs have touched and inspired many- his fans include country rockers Wilco, songwriter/producer Jim O'Rourke, Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance and David Michael of Current 93. He continues to record. Screams In the Ears recently featured as the Channel 4 trailer music. BONUS TRACKS: Some Good Advice, Screams in the Ears
CD $20

BILL FAY - Time Of The Last Persecution (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2038; UK) Bill is an enigmatic UK based singer, songwriter and pianist whose work is impossible to categorize. His late 60's early 70's work has a strong cult following, is highly regarded by many music journalists and is dark and haunting with songs rarely going over 3 minutes. Bill was originally signed to Decca and between 1967 and 1971 the label released a beautifully odd single (Some Good Advice/Screams In The Ears) and two excellent albums (the lush, orchestrated Bill Fay and the rawer Time Of The Last Persecution).). Bill's fantastic songs have touched and inspired many- his fans include country rockers Wilco, songwriter/producer Jim O'Rourke, Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance and David Michael of Current 93. He continues to record. Screams In the Ears recently featured as the Channel 4 trailer music
CD $20

CLAIRE HAMILL - October (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2032; UK) The possessor of one of the finest voices in popular music, Claire Hamill signed to Island records at the age of 16, recording two albums which featured contributions from John Martyn, Free & Terry Reid. 'One House Left Standing' is Claire's first album, a masterpiece of folk rock and the art of songwriting and features music of both innocence and maturity.
October is Claire's second album, a masterpiece of folk rock and the art of songwriting and features music of both innocence and maturity. Produced by Paul Samwell-Smith (who had recently worked with Cat Stevens), October is a highlight of Claire's early career and is certain to appeal to those who appreciate the art of the singer songwriter. The Esoteric reissue includes Baby What's Wrong as a bonus tracks. With her songs covered by Eva Cassidy and cited by Kate Bush as an influence, this reissue is the first part of a programme that sees the reissuing of Claire's work by Esoteric Recordings.
CD $20


SWELL MAPS [NIKKI SUDDEN/EPIC SOUNDTRACKS] - Jane From Occupied Europe (Secretly Canadian 109; USA) 2 bonus cuts! Noisy and experimental, Britain's Swell Maps experienced little commercial success during the course of their chaotic career, but in hindsight they stand as one of the pivotal acts of the new wave: not only was the group an acknowedged inspiration to the likes of Sonic Youth and Pavement, but their alumni -- most notably brothers Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks -- continued on as key players in the underground music community.
Although Sudden (vocals/guitar) and Soundtracks (piano/drums) formed the first incarnation of the Swell Maps (named after the charts used by surfers to gauge wave intensities) as far back as 1972, the group did not begin to truly take shape until 1976, when the siblings enlisted bassist Jowe Head and guitarist Richard Earl. In the spirit of punk's "do-it-yourself" mentality, they formed their own label, Rather Records, and issued their debut single -- the brief, jarring "Read About Seymour" -- in the early weeks of 1978. Local media support soon won the group a distribution pact with Rough Trade, but they did not resurface until over a year later with the single "Dresden Style." In mid-1979, the Swell Maps released their full-length debut A Trip to Marineville, a crazy-quilt of punk energy and Krautrock-influenced clatter - Jason Ankeny, AMG
CD $13

SWELL MAPS [NIKKI SUDDEN/EPIC SOUNDTRACKS] - Trip To Marineville (Secretly Canadian 108; USA) 4 bonus cuts! After the release of the first album, and then speaker-shredding single "Let's Build a Car," the group recorded one final studio LP, Jane from Occupied Europe, before breaking up. On this second album, Swell Maps displayed even more ambition and confidence than on their debut, which was a plus. Even though their music was still somewhat fragmented, Jane from Occupied Europe was more focused and compelling than their debut. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG
CD $13


MARIANNE FAITHFUL - Come My Way (Cherry Red/Rev-Ola 229; UK) Well, what can one say about Marianne Faithfull that hasn't been written a million times before? A true legend in British music, boasting a career that spans more than forty years that is showing no sign of slowing down yet. Over the course of a dozen or so albums and any number of hit singles she's consistently re-invented herself; from the teenage convent schoolgirl folk-pop of her early Decca recordings (penned by Jagger/Richards, Donovan, Tim Hardin, Jackie De Shannon, Bert Jansch et al) through the controversial years of "Sister Morphine", Girl On A Motorcycle and her well-publicised late '60s drug-induced breakdown to her rebirth in the late-'70s with the manifesto that is Broken English and subsequent acceptance into the pantheon of great rock and roll survivors. Not to mention the fact that she now sounds better than ever and puts on one hell of a good show! In a classic spin by her manager/mentor Andrew Loog Oldham, Faithfull's first two long players were released on the same day in April 1965. While Marianne Faithfull was full of the kind of fragile, baroque torch-pop with which she'd become successfully associated, it's the sister release Come My Way that was effectively a pure folk album with shades of children's songs and a sense of the avant garde. Magnificent!
Features four bonus tracks: her classic 1969 single 'Sister Morphine,' released prior to the Rolling Stones' version, the 1964 B-side 'Blowin' in the Wind,' 'Et Maintenant,' from a 1965 EP and the 1966 B-side 'That's Right Baby'."
CD $17

JENNIFER WARNES - I Can Remember Everything/See Me Feel Me Touch Me Heal Me (Cherry Red/Rev-Ola 227; UK) As Jennifer Warnes, she scored US #1 smash hits with 'It's The Right Time Of The Night' in 1977, 'Up Where We Belong' (with Joe Cocker, from An Officer And A Gentleman) in 1982 and 'I've Had The Time Of My Life' (with Bill Medley, from Dirty Dancing) in 1987 - the last two bagging Best Song Oscars, as did 'It Goes Like It Goes' from the film Norma Rae - as well as singing with her chum Leonard Cohen on six of his albums and recording her own acclaimed Famous Blue Raincoat album of Cohen compositions in 1986. She sang backing vocals on albums by Ike & Tina Turner, Warren Zevon, James Taylor, Randy Newman, Roy Orbison, Jackson Browne and collaborated with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Dyke Parks, Bonnie Raitt, Arlo Guthrie and Harry Belafonte! E However, in a previous life in 1968 - when she was an ambitious hippie folkie known simply as Jennifer - she became a regular on US TV hit The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour where she sang with guests including Donovan, Glen Campbell, Kris Kristofferson, Dion, John Hartford and Mason Williams. The same year she appeared in and launched her solo recording career with the album I Remember Everything which features Jennifer's sun-kissed re-workings of songs by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bee Gees and Joni Mitchell amongst others. Her 1969 follow up See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me features more of her unique soulful take on songs by The Who, Bob Dylan and from Hair. Here we have two collectable orchestral soft pop gems together on one CD; re-mastered in the time honoured Rev-Ola tradition and featuring brand new in-depth liner notes and tons of rare photos and memorabilia!
CD $17


DON'T STOP [V.A.] - Recording Tap (Numero 19; USA) "In January of 2006, the Numero Group found itself sitting three wide on a weight bench in a damp garage. Eight hours later we peeled out of the driveway with a thirty seven tape mystery. Though Jeremiah Yisrael's Tap label only issued a handful of 12"s between 1981-1983, the tape deck never stopped rolling, producing dozens of lavish songs in disco's last days. From the string heavy sugar boogie of Jackie Stoudemire and Arnie Love to pioneering raps by Missy Dee & the Melody Crew and the Fabulous 3 MCs, Recording Tap covers a wide swath of New York's all night sound. The single disc set includes a miniature song book and expansive booklet stuffed with photos and memorabilia, all housed in a miniature replica tape box. Includes rare and unreleased recordings by Arnie & the Lovettes, Annette Denvil, Bonnie Freeman, the Fabulous 3 MCs, Missy Dee & the Melody Crew, Magnetism, and Jackie Stoudemire."
CD $18


EARTH, ROOTS & WATER - Innocent Youths (Light In The Attic 32; USA) "Innocent Youths was the first long player released on Jerry Brown's Summer Records imprint, hitting the emerging Toronto reggae marketplace in 1977. In 2008, the original LP is virtually extinct, a highly coveted and extremely rare piece of Canadian reggae history (often described as the northern answer to Lee Perry's Black Ark). For the uninitiated, we are talking heavy bass, drums, reverb, echo, roots vocals, keys, guitar, percussion, and Brown's wild style touch behind the controls. By 1977, Earth, Roots & Water had developed into an engaging live entity as well, based around the talents of Adrian 'Homer' Miller (vocals), Anthony 'Base' Hibbert (bass), Colin 'Zuba' Suban (drums), Matt Shelley (guitar), and Tony 'KB' Moore (keyboards). Both a sonic and visual force, the charismatic youths soon found themselves performing in and around the Toronto area, opening up for The Police and The Stranglers while extending the UK-born punk/reggae love affair to North America. In 2008, Light In The Attic Records along with Jerry Brown and Jamaica-Toronto series producer Kevin Howes (aka Sipreano) have decided to share this vital bounty to reggae fans the world over. Innocent Youths contains the complete studio album lovingly remastered from the original Summer Records master tapes. Over 30 years ahead of its time, this maverick material showcases the breadth of Earth, Roots & Water. Dig in..."
CD $15


PHANTOM GUITARS [V.A.] - A Cool Collection of Twangin' Guitar Instrumentals from the UK 1961-1964 (Psychic Circle 7019; UK) For a short period in the UK, guitar-led instrumental groups took control. In the three-year span between rock & roll and the full flush of beat, there was no bigger band than The Shadows. Their magical brand of twanging melody incorporated elements of Duane Eddy and The Ventures, but was something entirely British. And, as always, when someone comes up with a winning formula, everybody else suddenly leaps on board. So, in contrast to the clean-cut crooners, coffee bars, dancehalls and fairgrounds reverberated to the sound of Binson echo units and primitive Bigsby-esque tremelo arms. This CD ventures back in time a little further than previous Psychic Circle releases to round up a string-bending selection of some the finest examples of this genre. You'll hear a unreleased acetate from the guy who wrote the BBC's Match Of The Day theme, a live stormer from an Irish showband and a gem from Alvin Stardust's first backing band. There's a quick visit to Joe Meek's studios, and a track from The Gladiators without Nero, plus a whole lot more. Specially compiled by legendary psych musician and Psychic Circle label-head, Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond). Other artists include: The Falcons, The Krew Kats, The Phantoms, Bobby Taylor, The Hunters, Dennis Newey, The Executives, The Nu-Notes, The Cougars, The Champions, The Fentones, The Gimmicks, Dunhill & Weiser, The Packabeats, The Planets, The Johnny Howard Group, Rhet Stoller, The Players, The Violents, Group X, The Barons, Bob Miller & The Millermen, The Vengers and The Royal Showband, Waterford.
CD $16


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